AMVEST-Fola Complex

The AMVEST-Fola Complex is an underground and surface coal mining operation in Bickmore, West Virginia, owned by CONSOL Energy. The complex was acquired by CONSOL as part of its 2007 acquisition of AMVEST Corporation.

CONSOL idling mines in West Virginia
In December 2009, CONSOL announced it was idling two mines in West Virginia that employ about 500 people. Chief Operating Officer Nicholas DeIuliis blamed environmental activists for the closures, saying that "the nation's energy industries are coming under repeated assault from nuisance lawsuits and appeals of environmental regulations." The two mines affected are the Little Eagle Coal Co. mine and the Fola Coal Co. mine. In a lawsuit brought by the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC), a federal judge suspended CONSOL's Clean Water Act permit for part of the operations. Without these operations, CONSOL said it was unable to meet the requirements of its coal sales contracts. Jane Keating, executive director of OVEC, said that CONSOL's accusations of blame were misplaced and that "miners should be asking the companies to follow the law."

On December 28, 2009, U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers changed his ruling to allow CONSOL to continue mining at the sites while the legal dispute over the company's fill permits continues. In his latest order, Chambers noted that OVEC did not oppose the decision.

Mine Data

 * Owner: Fola Coal Company'''
 * Parent company: CONSOL Energy
 * Location: Bickmore, West Virginia
 * GPS coordinates: 38.357946, -81.043396
 * Production: 3.9 million tons (2008)
 * Type of coal: Bituminous
 * Mine type: Underground, Surface
 * Equipment: Long Wall and Continuous Mining
 * Number of employees:
 * Recoverable reserves: 104 million tons

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